Training Week 1

Hi everybody, happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I sure did. This past weekend I hosted a bridal shower for my best friend Hannah and it was SO MUCH FUN!! I'll give you guys the full scoop on that soon, but I wanted to give you an update on how my running has been going. 

I just completed week 1 of my 12 week training program for the half marathon I am running in December, and all in all it was pretty good. I don't think I realized that this is going to be a really huge time commitment before I started however. My only rest day each week is Friday, which means every night after work I have to make time to either work out or run, and the same goes for Saturday and Sunday. That was pretty difficult last week because I was doing so many last minute things for the shower, but hopefully going forward it will be a little easier to maintain. The basic layout for my training program goes like this:

Monday: strength workout

Tuesday: run

Wednesday: run

Thursday: run plus strength

Friday: rest

Saturday: Cross training (biking, swimming, walking, etc)

Sunday: Long run

Over the course of the 12 week program, my runs will get progressively longer so this first week was the shortest of the entire program. Tuesday's run was a 3 miler, and it was a really great run. I finished with a decent time of just over 34 minutes (which for me is a solid pace). I felt really great from beginning to end, and was never tempted to walk. On Wednesday, my run was only 2 miles. I figured it would be a piece of cake considering how well I'd done 3 miles the day before, but I was wrong. That run was hard! It's funny how that happens. I think a lot of things factor into whether a run is good or bad, easy or hard. Here is a short list of what I think some of those factors are:

- the weather

- your outfit

- what you've eaten that day

- how much rest time you've had since your last run

- your mood

- your music

Even though it was a hard two miles, I forced myself through it without walking at all and finished at 21:54. I was surprised I'd managed a 11 minute pace, and was proud of myself for not walking. So, all in all, that run could have been worse. Thursday's run was another 3 miler and it was the hardest run I've had in a long time. First of all, the weather was absolutely terrible. It was super hot and muggy and my clothes were already sticking to me when I walked out the door. Secondly, I think I was already tired from running the past two days in a row. I'm not used to running three consecutive days, so this will definitely be an adjustment for me. Thirdly, my heart just wasn't in it. Usually when I am about to start a run I feel a little dread, but mostly pumped and ready to accomplish something. I was just not feeling it on Thursday and I was totally dreading it before I even started. I had to walk several times and finished in 37:40. Not my best time by any means. I tried not to feel disheartened, but I was getting pretty nervous because I knew my first long run was coming up on Sunday. 

Luckily, by the time Sunday rolled around I was in a new frame of mind. I was feeling rested because I'd had a couple days off and miraculously we had our first cold front of the season so Sunday morning was beautiful and in the mid 70s.  I set off, thinking about how I had just started into my 4 mile long journey. 4 MILES! That is the longest distance I've run in YEARS! I ran 5 miles once when I was in high school, but otherwise I'd never attempted a distance this far before. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or scared, I felt empowered. Who was this woman, brave enough to attempt such a feat? Thoughts of crossing the finish line at the end of my half marathon came into my mind and I ran a little faster. In that moment, I felt alive, like I knew exactly who I was. It was a truly amazing feeling. I thought about the fact that after all these months of training I probably still wouldn't be a size 6, or weigh 130 pounds, and I was okay with that. I was me, with all my imperfections, yet with all my strength too. And in that moment it didn't matter that I wasn't the fastest or the skinniest. What mattered was that I was out there, working, pushing myself and trying my hardest. 

I did have to walk a little bit, but I'm okay with that. I am proud of what I accomplished. And quite honestly, I'm a little bummed that another 4 mile run isn't on my training schedule for tonight. 

Thanks,

Jesse